by M K Drake
“Norseman, you are wise to expect more from me! I will show you the same mercy as you showed my spawn!” Shezmu opens his mouth and sends a massive ball of fire towards the Majjai below him.
Olof sends a concentrated blast of ice to shield them as the others scatter for cover.
Khan pulls Atticus and Joseph aside. “Locate Pali, Safaya, and Joyce, aid them if needed. We need to get the Scrolls out of here as soon as possible. Take Olof with you, Ju Long and I will fell this monster.”
Shezmu attacks again, this time with his fists, crashing through the ice shield. Ju Long flies up and whips Shezmu’s arm back with his tail.
“Silly Majjai, you! Dragon! You are not even human! You ally with the mortals and the Majjai? You can die with them!” roars Shezmu, as he sends a blast of fire towards Ju Long.
The Dragonheart flies around the chamber, avoiding the deadly stream of fire as he looks below to see Khan in deep conversation with the others. “Er! Guys! A little help here!”
Atticus looks up, then unleashes the Sword of Ages from his belt and removes the vial containing the Scent of Ra, “Here!” he says, giving both to Khan. “You will need these. And look after my sword, no scratches please.”
Khan smiles as he takes the items. “I’ll try not to, now go!”
Atticus does not need to be told a second time and beckons Olof and Joseph to follow him. The three run towards the giant pyramid as fast as they can.
Khan turns his attention to Shezmu. “You! Egyptian! You defy the order of an angel, you will now pay the price!” And with that, the Saracen leaps high into the air, wielding the Sword of Ages in his hands, and lands on Shezmu’s leg. The demi-god tries to slap Khan to ground but the expert warrior stabs the blade into the monster’s palm, using it as leverage to get even higher. Shezmu roars in pain as the sword cuts deep. The beast swings with his other hand, fist clenched, to try and crush Khan but the Majjai uses his power of might to punch the blow back up, sending Shezmu backwards with the force of the impact.
Shezmu prepares to launch a blast of fire at Khan, as if not caring that he may harm himself in the process. The Majjai looks up, trying to figure out an escape, but is unable to find cover. As Shezmu is about to release the ball of flame, Ju Long swoops in and uses his tail again to flick the god’s jaws upwards, sending the scalding flame to the roof of the cavern, blasting away a portion of it.
Khan climbs higher up the demi-gods arm. He almost reaches the shoulders of the giant demon, but is unable to get to the top, his progress is halted when the roof begins to collapse.
The Horseman arrives with the slug drilling down, collapsing the cavern onto the Egyptian demon.
Ju Long quickly deals with the slug, and realizes that the Horseman is ignoring them completely and heading straight towards the pyramid, after Atticus. “Khan! We need to end this quickly, the Horseman, he is after Atticus!”
“Get down here, we need to get this down his throat – it will weaken the hide around his neck!” Khan holds out the canteen with the Scent of Ra.
Ju Long flies down and uses the might of his dragon arms to pry the jaws of the dazed Shezmu open. Khan pours down the contents of the canteen causing Shezmu to choke and wake with a start.
“What have you done?” screams the Egyptian demi-god. “You fools, who will save you now? Argh, it burns! He is coming! The other Horseman! The merciless one! Arrgh!” Shezmu swings one last blow towards Khan, sending the Sword of Ages flying into the air and knocking Khan to the ground. Then gravity brings the sword down fast and hard, piercing Shezmu’s neck. The Egyptian demi-god screams in pain once more as his body sizzles into a pile of steaming ash.
Ju Long transforms back into his human form and helps Khan to his feet. “What is he talking about? Another Horseman?”
Khan groans as he stretches his muscles, trying to coax life back into them after the battle. “I do not know, but it does not sound good at all. We can worry about it later, we need to aid Atticus.”
He retrieves the sword and the two start to run, but as they do so, the smouldering ash from Shezmu begins to rise and turn in to a giant whirlwind, glowing first blue and then red, forming a massive shield around the pyramid. Khan and Ju Long are unable to get past it in time, almost crashing into the barrier.
Khan shouts out to Atticus. “Watch out behind you! The Horseman is here!”
Chapter 36
The Scrolls of the Pharaoh
Atticus spins round to see the World Ender striding towards them. He then turns to his dad. “Hide, now!”
Joseph stands fast next to Atticus, “I will not leave your side son; never.”
Olof wields his hammer and sends it soaring towards the Horseman.
Vengeance stands still and waits for Mjolnir to arrive, he raises an arm, and commands the hammer to stop with just a thought. “Norseman, this hammer does not belong to you. You cannot command it like its true master can; you’re simply its temporary keeper. Here, look after it well.”
The Horseman flicks his hand towards Olof, sending the hammer back to him with even greater force. The Norse Majjai tries to stop it, but the velocity is so great that it lifts him like a doll, sending him crashing into the pyramid wall.
The Horseman smiles. “Idiot,” he says, before staring at Atticus. “Now, let’s get down to business, shall we? I’m not really supposed to kill you, Atticus; in fact, I’m not really allowed to. But… they can,” the World Ender points to the numerous holes in the pyramid walls that begin to appear. Screams of anger start to ring from the portals, echoing around the chamber, as hundreds of Shezmu’s followers pour out of them, angered at the death of their god.
Atticus sends a burst of fireballs all around him, targeting as many of the followers as he can, but as he prepares a second barrage, he finds himself unable to move his hand.
“Uhm, no, Atticus, you can wait next to me.” The Horseman uses his powerful telekinesis to freeze Atticus in his tracks and moves him to his side. “Watch now, as your father becomes what I wanted all along. Watch him become a beacon, summoning Death, as he brings about the end of your world, and the start of mine!”
Atticus is helpless, unable to move or speak. He can see Joseph fighting off the hordes of Shezmu’s followers, using the Amethyst’s power to send them into oblivion. Atticus tries to scream out again, but is unable to make any sound. From the corner of his eye he can see Joyce and the others emerge from the pyramid entrance.
“Ah yes, my scrolls,” mocks the World Ender, sending a fireball toward Safaya, Pali, and Joyce. The powerful impact sends a shockwave knocking all three unconscious, and with a wave of his hand, the Horseman commands the scrolls to his side. “You see Atticus, now, in your abject failure, you see how I am right. Even with the knowledge that the Amethyst will consume him, your father’s thirst for death drives him on. This is the nature of you, your species. You’re a failure. I will cleanse the Earth of your wanton bloodshed. No more needless death, the souls reaped will be re-used, re-programmed into something better. Something not human, something worthwhile.”
Atticus struggles again, but realizes it is futile, so decides on a different tack. He calms himself as he prepares to get into the Horseman’s mind, he breathes as he reaches out, and then he finds it; the presence is powerful, like nothing he has encountered before. He fears he might be consumed whole, but he needs to try, with one final effort he makes the connection.
“Found you! Now listen!”
# # #
“Hello Atticus! Well, you have finally impressed me,” says the Horseman, as Atticus’s mind links with his. “But this was a foolish move, for now I can simply destroy you from within.”
“Wait!” says Atticus telepathically. “Why don’t you look – have you ever seen inside the soul of a human? Have you? I know you consume them, but do you ever take the time to look?”
The Horseman sighs. “I do not need to look, your very actions are proof of the darkness humanity brings to the beauty of a soul.”
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“You’re afraid!” Atticus can sense more from the Horseman, he can sense a torment inside of him that the World Ender tries to hide. “You’re afraid you might be wrong! You have lived here for eons, you have watched mankind grow – and yes, we have war, we have death… but you’ve also seen love! You’ve seen acts of kindness; are you too damn blind to acknowledge it?”
“Enough! Look before you! Your beacon, your father! Despite all he has been through, he still covets delivering destruction and death. Look at your humanity!”
“Ha! You think he does this because he covets death? He has seen enough of it to last a lifetime. Listen to his words, what he is saying.” Atticus implores Vengeance to open his ears and eyes. “I cannot beat you with brute force, you’ve proven your strength. But I will beat you with this: the knowledge that you are wrong!”
Joseph’s voice breaks through. “Atticus! I will save you boy, but these things keep coming! The others are all out! These people do not need to die, please! Horseman! Whatever you are! Have mercy on these souls!”
Atticus has managed to open a conduit to unblock the Horseman’s blindness and he uses it to force him to listen. “Are those the words of someone who covets death? No! Those are the words of someone who wants to prevent it!”
“No! You attempt to engage in a battle of wills with me? I told you! Enough!” The Horseman blasts Atticus out of his mind and roars in anger. “Your Myrddin, the meddler of time, has upset the cosmos, for what? Greed for knowledge is still a greed. He did not think of the damage he would do to fabric of the cosmos; he was never an Eternal! You strive to meddle with things you do not understand!”
“Horseman!” shouts Joseph, “You hear me now don’t you? Please! Stop this! Save these lives!”
The Horseman looks from Atticus to Joseph; for the first time he is torn. “You are the one who continues to deal death mortal. The Amethyst merely channels your thirst!”
“No! I do not want this. I just want my son to be safe. I do this to protect him,” Joseph sends another blast of energy out, defending himself and stopping any of the remaining followers from reaching Atticus and the girls who are still unconscious at the entrance of the pyramid.
Olof finally recovers and sees another swarm of Shezmu’s followers attempt to attack Joseph from the rear, he immediately comes to his aid, and protects his flanks. It is not long until it is over; with no more of followers of Shezmu arriving, they have finally defeated them.
Joseph begins to shiver as all of the bodies around him start to vibrate, and the life force of the fallen is drawn out and dragged towards the Amethyst within Joseph’s chest. Joseph grabs his head in torment and screams in pain as each of the lives taken begin to drive themselves into his soul.
Chapter 37
Redemption
“No!” Atticus cries out angrily. Finally breaking The Horseman’s grip, he runs to Joseph who is still grabbing his head, “Dad! You have to fight this! You keep telling me I’m strong. I’m not! You dad! You’re the strongest man I know, don’t you dare leave me!”
The Horseman strides over towards Atticus and Joseph, Olof tries to block his path, but is sent back with little effort by the World Ender. “I did not expect you to survive this long with the Amethyst, mortal,” he says looking at Joseph. “You should know that your death will be the catalyst for the End of Days! And once you are consumed by the gemstone, I will destroy the very one you are trying to protect.”
Joseph groans, and slowly, tiredly he stands up and looks at the Horseman. “My son, he is protected. And for you, I will shed no more blood. I will endure this torment until my end, to save my son, and to save humanity!”
“Fool!” Vengeance roars. “Your torment will be eternal. The pain endless, beyond death, your soul will be ripped to shreds and put together again, only to endure more agony. End it now, just take one more life and your soul can rest within the stone. You would be caretaker to all those who flow through it. Imagine the honour.”
“Don’t listen to him, Joseph!” Khan shouts from the other side of Shezmu’s shield, as both he and Ju Long attempt to break through. “Even an attempt at taking a life could consume you now! Do not listen to him!”
Atticus stands by his father’s side. “Dad, we can just walk away, we will find another way to get this thing off you. We always find another way.”
Joseph smiles and hugs Atticus tightly. “Yes, yes we do, and you are right, let’s go.”
“No! You are mine! This victory is mine!” The Horseman unsheathes his own mighty blade and runs to take a swing at Atticus.
Joseph steps forward, holding Atticus back, raising his arm to try to block the blade. He closes his eyes waiting for the cold metal to pierce his warm flesh… but nothing. He opens his eyes, only to see the Horseman standing still, his blade raised and about to make contact – but the World Ender has hesitated.
Atticus hugs his dad before moving once again to his side.
The Horseman steps back and puts his sword away. “Why do you persist, mortal?”
Joseph smiles at the Horseman. “Because the love of a father is stronger than anything you could ever understand.”
The Horseman snarls. “But he is not your blood; he was not born from your soul. He belongs to another.”
“He is my son. His lineage makes no difference to me. A father’s love goes beyond the bond of blood, beyond the rules of ancestry. The love of humanity is shared; you only have to open your eyes to see this. If my death or torment means that my son lives, that humanity lives, then that agony will not be a burden, it will be an honour!” Joseph stands proud and unrelenting, not breaking eye contact with the Horseman for even a moment.
As the Horseman ponders all before him, he closes his eyes, and concentrates; looking deep within himself and at the realization of everything Joseph is saying, his unselfish act, his willingness, against all manner of eternal agony, to save a life that he has adopted, and that of all of humanity. This goes against all he ever understood – but then Atticus’s accusation of his blindness towards man haunts his thoughts. Was he so unsighted that the thirst to bring the End of Days made him visionless? In that moment he grasps his mistake, he finally understands. His brothers, Kazmagus, Atticus, and above all, this mortal, Joseph… they are right.
Vengeance turns away, ashamed. “I need to fix things,” he says. “I shall begin with the Amethyst. Joseph, please, come. This will be painful, but I can free you from this burden.”
Joseph takes a step, looking back at Atticus as he does so. “Don’t worry, I’m sure… Arrrgggh!”
Out of nowhere a pair of Screamers appear, one leaps down and slices Joseph’s back, injuring him while kicking Atticus to the ground.
Khan and Ju Long try harder to break the barrier, but to no avail, the Saracen’s blows echo throughout the chamber without causing even a crack to appear. “No!” he shouts in desperation.
The Horseman turns but before he can react the Screamer strikes the Amethyst.
Joseph screams in pain, he looks to Atticus who is getting up to confront the Screamer, but Joseph pushes him away as the demon comes in for another blow. “I’m sorry Atticus, I cannot control… arrrrgghhhh!” Joseph screams as he tries to prevent the Amethyst from reacting to the blow. “It’s protecting itself! I can’t…” another flash of purple light shoots out, destroying the Screamer that attacked.
In the commotion, the second Screamer sneaks behind, them snatching the Scrolls from the floor; it sends a massive sonic blast to the roof of the chamber collapsing a large part of it, and as the rocks tumble Atticus pulls his dad to cover.
The other Majjai finally wake with the noise, Joyce super speeds towards Atticus with Safaya, Olof, and Pali in tow.
“Don’t harm him!” shouts Atticus, preventing them from starting any form of attack against the Horseman. Atticus looks directly at the World Ender. “Can you still save him?”
The Horseman is torn, he looks towards the Screamer who has crawled through
one of the tunnels and is escaping with the Scrolls, then he looks upon Joseph, writhing in agony. He knows what he must do and steps towards the Majjai. “I can only try.”
He picks Joseph up and over his shoulder; then pointing his massive sword to the roof charges towards it, delivering a mighty blow that shatters the last remaining essence of Shezmu. Then he waves a hand and teleports everyone back to the surface.
As they re-materialise they see all of Shezmu’s portals beginning to close, sucking in all of the demons that had come through. Every Graigon, Draygoyle, Slug, and Screamer.
Joyce allows a wry grin to form as she spots Herensugue struggling to find a grip on the surface, only to succumb as Draconus is dragged through the portal, taking the serpent demon with him.
Safaya looks to Pali. “You were right, with Shezmu dead, his portals are dying, too!”
Shouts of celebration emanate from all over the desert, but they soon turn to more roars of battle as the other Majjai spot the Horseman and begin to charge towards him.
Chapter 38
Death
Kazmagus is one of the first to arrive, leaping high into the air, followed by Elric, still in his stone man form, and Mage Callan.
Joyce throws a massive shield to protect The Horseman, confusing all of those who battled above ground as the jumping trio of Majjai bounce backwards.
“Stop!” shouts Atticus. “Do not harm him!” he turns towards the World Ender. “Please, hurry!” Atticus stands aside to allow the World Ender space. Joyce grabs Atticus’s hand holding tightly as everyone who had remained on the surface begins to realize what is happening.
The Horseman nods his head and gently places Joseph on the ground. Atticus’s father is still writhing in pain; the Horseman places his hand softly upon him. “Calm Joseph, think of the angels and their peace. I know there is one in particular who misses you.”